Hawaiian Shave Ice...in Champaign, IL?

About a month ago, Aaron mentioned that he saw a Hawaiian Shave Ice van in Champaign and asked me if it was the real deal. I was a bit skeptical about the place because at the "Taste of Champaign" a couple of years ago, the "Hawaiian Shave Ice" was similar to the texture of the coarse ice in a "Snow-cone."
Aaron brought it up again and said that he tried it and the ice texture was similar to snow, rather than crushed ice. Here's a picture of a slightly melted cup of shave ice.
So last Saturday, one of my Hawaii friends (yeah, there are a few others from Hawaii who attend school in Illinois) and I finally checked out the shave ice van on Neil St. in Champaign, IL. She's posing next to the shave ice van.
The workers were super nice and friendly and there were TONS of flavors to choose from. We tried the mango and the banana cream pie flavors. We then unintentionally got the cups mixed up and told/convinced Aaron that the mango was the banana cream pie flavor. He even said, "Mmm...that banana cream pie is really good." Then he some how figured out that he was eating the mango one. So, those flavoring in particular could use a little tweaking, but our taste buds could have been shot because we had been cooking and tasting all the food for our "Grown-Up Kids Party."Overall take home message, the shave ice van gets my stamp of approval. It is not as soft as Matsumoto's shave ice or Waiola's, but it's the best I've tasted on the mainland and definitely similar to other shave ice stores in Hawaii. I'd definitely go back, but I would try other flavors. Maybe stick with one of the more traditional flavors like strawberry.

Smirnoff Summer Entertaining Extravaganza:Grown-Up Kids Party

We were lucky to have been selected to host a "Smirnoff Summer Entertaining Extravaganza" this past weekend. Much thanks to Foodbuzz and Smirnoff for sponsoring this event.

The theme of our party was a "Grown-Up Kids Party," which involved kids' food with an adult twist to them. These foods had a gourmet spin on them, but realistically, it meant that we included alcohol into these foods. A bunch of us Food Science graduate students had a great time chomping down on all the food and just hanging out.

The stars of our "Grown-Up Kids Party" Smirnoff Tuscan Lemonade and Smirnoff Vodka Mojito. Prior to the event Aaron and I had a pre-party and sampled these drinks on the rocks for experimental purposes. After all, we needed to figure out how to best incorporate these beverages into our foods.
Extra Lime-y Mojito. See Recipe Below
Colorful Kiddie Fruit Punch (Melon Ball with Grenadine).
Slushy Mojito. Smirnoff Vodka Mojito Mix, Lime Juice, and Ice Blended. Our adult version of frozen slushes and icees.Outdoor Games and Grilling.
We began with the appetizers. As you can see, just like little kids, we all ignored the vegetable platter.
Warm Brie with Aaron's Homemade Sweet Cherry Jam in Puff Pastry. Any kid or adult cannot resist oozing melted cheese! This was soooo good.

Grown-Up Grilled Goat Cheese and Pesto Sandwiches (my personal favorite dish of the night) and our Mini-Hot Dog Bites which consisted of Little Smokies wrapped in Bacon and topped with Maple Syrup.Shrimp Cocktail Concoction (cream cheese covered with shrimp, and cajun cocktail sauce)
Smirnoff Mojito Marinated Shrimp Skewers with three kinds of Smirnoff Tuscan Lemonade dipping sauces. We had a Black Peppercorn Parmigiano-Reggiano Dipping Sauce, a Smirnoff Tuscan Lemonade Infused Sweet and Sour Sauce, and a Zesty Tuscan Lemonade Infused Sauce. Recipes are below.
I forgot to take a picture of the chicken skewers when they first came off the grill, so this is a picture of the remaining surviving chicken pieces. We also served the chicken with the dipping sauces.

Spiked Gummies. For the recipe, check out my previous post. Gummy colas soaked in rum (get it...Rum and Coke), and Gummy Bears soaked in Raspberry liquor and vodka.
Original Gummy Bear-->Drunken Gummy Bear

Guinness Chocolate Cake with Bailey's Cream Cheese Frosting. Even though we were all stuffed with all the other yummy food, we all found room in our stomachs to enjoy this decadent cake!

The party was a success! We all were able to enjoy our favorite kids foods with a grown-up spin to them.

RECIPES
Smirnoff Mojito Marinated Shrimp Skewers
Mojito Marinade
1 & 1/4 c. Smirnoff Mojito
5 Cloves Garlic-crush in garlic press
1 Serrano Chili-finely chopped
Juice of Two limes
1/2 c. Canola Oil
1 t. Ground Cumin
1/4 c. Red Onion-finely chopped
1/2 t. Salt

Marinade shrimp for approximately 30 minutes. Then thread onto presoaked (with water) skewers. Grill Shrimp.

Black Peppercorn Parmigiano-Reggiano Dipping Sauce
1/3 c. Smirnoff Tuscan Lemonade
1 c. Mayonnaise
1/4 c. Buttermilk
1 T. Freshly Ground Peppercorns
1 t. Garlic Powder
1 t. Onion Powder
1/2 t. Garlic Salt
1 Egg Yolk
1/4 c. Canola Oil
1 T. Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend for a few seconds.

Zesty Smirnoff Tuscan Lemonade Dipping Sauce
1/4 c. Smirnoff Tuscan Lemonade
1/2 c. Mayonnaise
1/4 c. Buttermilk
1/8 c. Red Onion-Roughly Chopped
2 Cloves Garlic
Salt to Taste (1/8 t.)

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend for a few seconds.

Extra Lime-y Mojito
1/2-1 c. Smirnoff Vodka Mojito
8 Mint Leaves-muddled
Juice of 1 Lime
2 T. Sugar
1/2 c. club soda
Handful of Ice Cubes


The aftermath of all the dishes we used!

My Favorite Hawaii Desserts

I'll be returning home to Hawaii for a short trip next month, so I started thinking about my favorite desserts from back home. It's been a few years since I've visited some of these places so recipes may have changed. Apple Turnovers-Napoleon's Bakery-Zippy's
Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones-Kapiolani Community College Baking Class. (Make friends with a Culinary Student)
Bread Pudding-Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Prince Hotel (close second)
Chichi Dango Mochi-Nisshido
Coco Puffs-Liliha Bakery
Coconut Cake- Ted's Bakery (not only are their pies delicious, but the cakes there are great!)
Key Lime Pie-Morton's (yeah, I know it's a chain restaurant, but it was so good!)
Kulolo-any place I can get it
Molten Chocolate Cake-Roy's Restaurant
Orange Chiffon Cake-Liliha Bakery , my friend's dad's cake
Palm Leaf Cookies-St. Germain Bakery (in Shirokiya or Ala Moana Shopping Center)
Pianomo Roll-Jesse's Bakery
Pumpkin Custard Pie-Sconee's
White Chantilly Cake (this used to be sold at Liberty House)-Prince Hotel

Ice Cream/Sherbets-too many places to choose from, I really like Dave's Lychee Sherbert, and on Oahu, Samurai Shave Ice's Maui-Style Sherbet
Shave Ice-too many places to choose from. At the moment, Shimazu's might be my top choice. Waiola's is good too.



As you can tell, I have a major sweet tooth. I'm sure I am missing a bunch of desserts that I really enjoy.

What are your favorite Hawaii desserts? Or if you think there is another shop/restaurant/bakery that has a better one, let me know, and then I'll go check it out in September. :)

Our Anniversary

Today marks Mike and my one year anniversary. The year flew by so quickly, and I cannot believe that one year ago we said our vows to be together forever. I also cannot believe that we have been together for almost six years (5 years & 11 months). I guess we must really like each other. :P

Unfortunately we are not spending the day together and have spent most of the year apart than together. Our "forever" will just have to begin later on this year after I defend my thesis. I told Mike that he didn't have to make a special flight to Illinois to be with me on our anniversary. After all, it is just one day and we have a lifetime to spend with each other.

I've mentioned to people that being in a long distance relationship has been the most difficult challenge for me throughout my four years here pursuing a PhD. Surprisingly, it has not been the rigor of the program or the occasional 14-hour days of research; it was knowing that the love of your life lives 5,000 miles away and is a 5-hour time zone away (Thank goodness for cell phone family plans). But on the other hand, it makes the little time that we have together much more precious.
Mike, if you're reading this, don't get mad at me for wasting time blogging. :) Happy Anniversary! I love you very much, husband!

Hawaii Sweets~Shimazu Shave Ice and Fujiya

Continuing on with our "food extravaganza" we checked out Shimazu's Store for some shave ice. I had never been there before, but Alan from Makiki suggested it. Oh and what a treat it was! The shave ice there is huge and cheap! Plus Shimazu's Store is a much shorter drive from my house than Matsumoto's (North Shore side) or Waiola's (Kapahulu).
Now Shimazu Store will always be on my list of places I want to frequent when I'm back home in Hawaii. I actually might like it better than Waiola's, but it's probably because of the price and size differences of the shave ice.

Look at all the syrup choices!

I am a "shave ice purist" and you will rarely see me order any other flavor besides strawberry or strawberry creme. I never liked to mix flavors or *gasp* so you would never see me ordering the rainbow flavor. Mike loves mixing flavors, but for me, I like enjoying the same flavor from start to finish. I do not enjoy the uncertainty of the mixed flavors at the end of the cup.
But since there were soooo many choices of syrups, that I tried not one, not two, but THREE flavors. But I figured that vanilla, peanut butter, and chocolate were complimentary flavors. It wasn't like I had chosen tutti fruit, root beer, and sour lemon.
D ordered the strawberry creme and vanilla creme. I actually prefered his flavor combination better than mine (my combo was delicious too) and wanted to snatch it from his hands. But would it be worth it, for the sake of our friendship? Probably not.
My only complaint about Shimazu's store is that it is not always open when the sign says it's open. Only on my third attempt was I able to indulge in this snowy goodness. One of the attempts was my fault because I didn't realize they were closed on Mondays. But I checked it out on a Sunday and there were a couple other people who parked and then drove away because it wasn't open.
We then moved on to find the place that makes fresh yuba (tofu skin). They were not making the yuba on the day we showed up, but you can call Fujiya in advance to see if they are making it and can watch the process.
We purchased some freshly made tofu, soy milk, senbei, and mochi. The tofu was delicious! It was extremely delicate in texture and had a mild soy flavor. Here's one of the mochi that I purhcased. I've seen strawberries in mochi mochi, pumpkin, and peanut butter fillings before, but I've never had a mochi filled with blueberries. I though the lima bean paste was a bit too sweet for my tastes, but I was super-stoked about the concept. I think I'll try to make a blueberry-filled mochi some day and experiment with the complimentary filling. Fujiya also sells manju or mochi filled with azuki beans, strawberries, and if I remember correctly raspberries.

Shimazu Store
330 N School St.
Honolulu, HI 96817

Fujiya Ltd.
454 Waiakamilo Rd.
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808)845-2921

Hawaii Restaurants~Koi and Sonny's Grill

*After reading about all Kat's Hawaii adventures, I just realized that I had a lot of Hawaii posts that I forgot to post. I'll be back home in Hawaii in a couple of months and still haven't gotten around to posting about the places I visited when I was back home in April.***

On one of my last days back in Hawaii, while Mike was at work, I went on a "food extravaganza" with a good college friend from back home. We checked out two restaurants, a shave ice shop, and a mochi/tofu shop all in a couple of hours.
We decided to stay on my side of the island and checked out placed in the Kalihi/Kapalama area. We chose the restaurants based on the numerous articles my mom had cut out of the newspaper about new restaurants. She had checked out "Koi" earlier in the year and said that she enjoyed the "chicken and portabello salad" and the "grilled steak" (which won an award at hte Flavors of Honolulu 2008).
The choices at Koi include items such as, "crab topped salmon," "steak and portabello salad," and the classics "hamburger steak w/ mushroom gravy" and "pork chops with garlic mashed potatoes." Positives about the place...the prices are pretty reasonable. The prices range from mini-plates $4.75-6.25, and regular plates $6.50-$8.00 and the staff was super friendly and helpful. While my friend and I were discussing what we were going to order, the counter lady heard me say that I cannot handle eating wasabi. She said, "I didn't want to jump into your conversation, but I don't like wasabi either, but it the sauce only have a mild wasabi flavor, and we can put it in the side for you."
We settled on the furikake mahimahi (seared island mahimahi crusted with Japanese seaweed served with a wasabi tartar sauce). It was delicious. My friend wanted to be healthy and order a mixed green salad, but I said that we had to try the mac salad because in my mind, a good mac salad means that the food probably tastes good.
Our next stop was "Sonny's Grill" which is your typical local plate lunch and breakfast joint. Again, the staff was super friendly (I started wondering if I have lived away from Hawaii too long, and that I forgot just how nice local people are).

We settled on the mixed bento called that was only $6.95 for a bento containing, grilled mahi, omelet, spam, teri beer, and puehulu steak.
Plate lunch prices ranged from: minis: $5.75-6.25, and regulars $6.00-$7.95.
The differences between the two restaurants was that I feel like Koi served a little bit more refined food. Sonny's was more of your typical plate lunch foods-two scoops rice, mac salad, and your choice of meat.


Koi
2028 Dillingham Bvd. (across the Blood Bank of Hawaii)
(808)845-4564
Hours: M-Sat: 10am-2pm

Sonny's Gril
717 N. King St.
(808)842-9919
Hours: M-F 7am-7pm; Sat-Sun:8am-2pm

Pom Wonderful~Layered Jello

Last week I received an email from Pom Wonderful asking if I wanted to be sent a sample of pomegranate juice. I was a bit skeptical because I started this blog for fun and have never been offered any food samples before. Plus there was no strings attached to the sample (i.e. no requirement to blog about the product).I'll be moving out of my apartment in a couple of months, so I figured that if I emailed the lady my address, so I figured that I wouldn't receive any spam mail. Plus I live in a secure apartment in which you need a keycard to enter. *yes, I am slightly paranoid when it comes to safety. I used to carry pepper spray, I've taken self-defense classes, and hold my keys a particular way when I walk home just in case I need to strike someone*

I digressed...so last Friday I was pleasantly surprised to find an 8-pack of pomegranate juice waiting for me when I arrived at home.

I was making rainbow jello for a party I attended, so I thought, "why not make pomegranate jello?"

Recipe
(9"x9" square pan)

Ingredients
Pomegranate jello
1/2 cup cold pomegranate juice
2 packets of Knox gelatin

1.5 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup of granulated sugar

1. Gelatin Mixture-Stir in 2 packets of knox gelatin in 0.5 cups of cold pomegranate juice. Let sit for 5 minutes.

2. In a sauce pan, heat 1.5 cups pomegranate juice to a boil. Take off the heat and stir in 0.5 cups of sugar. Then stir in the gelatin and pomegranate juice mixture.

Cream jello
1/4 cup cold water
2 packets of Knox gelatin
3/4 cup water

1 can condensed milk
1 cup hot water

1. Gelatin Mixture-Stir in 2 packets of knox gelatin in 1/4 cup water. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. In a bowl, mix together the condensed milk and 1 cup of hot water.
3. In a sauce pan, heat 3/4 cup water to a boil. Take off the heat and stir in the gelatin mixture. 4. Pour the hot water gelatin mixture into the condensed milk mixture and mix well.

Assembling the layered jello
1. Pour ~3/4 cup pomegranate mixture into the pan. Place in the refrigerator and let gelatin set for 15-20 minutes.
2. Pour ~3/4 cup cream mixture into the pan. Place in the refrigerator and let gelatin set for 15-20 minutes.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2, until you have 3 layers of pomegranate jello, and 2 layers of cream.
4. Cut into squares or rectangles and serve.

*side note* You will have extra cream jello mixture left, so you can pour it into a container and cut up and eat as a snack.